Six finalists vie for deputy Sarasota police chief

Published: Friday, April 5, 2013 at 3:44 p.m.

Last Modified: Friday, April 5, 2013 at 3:44 p.m.

SARASOTA - Six men are vying for the second-in-command position at the Sarasota Police Department.

Two internal candidates applied — Capt. Paul Sutton and Detective Jack Carter — and made the final cut, along with two other Florida law enforcement officials and two from the East Coast.

They met with the city manager, police chief and public Friday. City officials want the new hire to start before May. The position will pay between $65,217 and $83,115, according to a city posting.

Chief Bernadette DiPino, who started in Sarasota on Dec. 31, decided to reinstate the deputy chief position after about a month-and-a-half at the police department. In her previous job as chief in Ocean City, Md., DiPino also wanted a deputy but never had one.

The chief said she is looking for someone who is loyal and will work closely with her to implement policy changes and training. DiPino, who described herself as operations-focused and high energy, said she wants someone calm, with expertise in administration and budgeting, to balance her approach.

“It needs almost to be that yin-yang,” she said.

No one has formally held the deputy chief position since Edward Whitehead retired in 2006.

Sutton, who is currently the department's second-in-charge, is set to retire in May 2014. But he applied for the deputy post because it would give the police chief another year to get to know the leadership currently in the department. The deputy chief has traditionally been a internal promotion, Sutton said, and he believes it should remain that way.

<p><em>SARASOTA</em> - Six men are vying for the second-in-command position at the Sarasota Police Department. </p><p>Two internal candidates applied — Capt. Paul Sutton and Detective Jack Carter — and made the final cut, along with two other Florida law enforcement officials and two from the East Coast.</p><p>They met with the city manager, police chief and public Friday. City officials want the new hire to start before May. The position will pay between $65,217 and $83,115, according to a city posting. </p><p>Chief Bernadette DiPino, who started in Sarasota on Dec. 31, decided to reinstate the deputy chief position after about a month-and-a-half at the police department. In her previous job as chief in Ocean City, Md., DiPino also wanted a deputy but never had one.</p><p>The chief said she is looking for someone who is loyal and will work closely with her to implement policy changes and training. DiPino, who described herself as operations-focused and high energy, said she wants someone calm, with expertise in administration and budgeting, to balance her approach.</p><p>“It needs almost to be that yin-yang,” she said.</p><p>No one has formally held the deputy chief position since Edward Whitehead retired in 2006. </p><p>Sutton, who is currently the department's second-in-charge, is set to retire in May 2014. But he applied for the deputy post because it would give the police chief another year to get to know the leadership currently in the department. The deputy chief has traditionally been a internal promotion, Sutton said, and he believes it should remain that way.</p><p>DiPino said she is simply looking for the best fit.</p><p>The six candidates are:</p><p>• Jack Carter, detective at the Sarasota Police Department.</p><p>• Michael Maniago, chief of police in Torrington, Conn.</p><p>• Steve Moyer, retired in 2007 as Maryland State Police lieutenant colonel and deputy secretary.</p><p>• Lee Spector, retired in 2009 as Fort Lauderdale Police captain.</p><p>• Paul Sutton, captain at the Sarasota Police Department.</p><p>• Milton Wiener, internal affairs investigator at the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office.</p>